Apple or Cherry?
by Tenshi no Nozomi
Summary: HP/SM Pairing: Usagi + Sirius :: Summary-- Sirius accidently makes a big boo-boo which has a bad effect on a potential relationship... -- rated PG-13 for safety ::Completed as of 3-28-03::
1. Part A

  
  
**Apple or Cherry?**  
  
**Part A** (1/3)  
  
**By:** Tenshi no Nozomi   
(tenshi_no_nozomi@hotmail.com)   
  
**Disclaimer:**   
Now, what did everybody's mommy and daddy teach them when they were five? To share with others. I'm merely 'borrowing' these characters, and I should be returning them in good condition. I hope so, anyhow.  
  
**Author's Blurb:**  
I swore to myself that I would not get sucked into this genre because I feel that many authors do not attempt to find originality in it. This is not true in all cases (please, no one be insulted by this!), but in the majority... It's like a repeat of when GW/SM was so popular. I hope that to some degree this isn't just a repeat of everything you've already heard/seen/read.  
  
I wonder how well this will do, though. It is just a one-shot, after all… mostly fluff, probably no or little plot. It should be interesting, though.   
  
Thoughts are in italics, stressed words in bold. **This fic has been split up into three sections to make it easier reading, and each part will be released separately.** No, I'm not mean enough to leave you hanging for forever. Just for a little while. ^.~ (It's been a long time since I've tried one like this... Not since 'Forbidden.' ^^)  
  
Also... Usagi may seem a bit shallow in this fic, but she's really not. I just have a hard time expressing the extent of her disappointment and pain.  
  
**Warnings:   
**Fluff/Waff, slight angst, possible character OOC-ness, mild violence, 3-part one-shot.  
  
**Pairings:   
**Usagi + Sirius, mentioned Lily + James  
  
**Thanks to:**  
Usa-chan for beta-reading all of this for me! Doomo arigato for all of your advice and help! This probably wouldn't have turned out so well without you.

****

  
  
Usagi smiled down happily at the pie she held in her hands. The crust had baked perfectly, turning to a rich, golden color, and Usagi was sure that it would taste pleasant and flaky. From between the carefully laid crosses of the strips, she could see the syrupy inside that she'd labored so hard in making. The aroma made her mouth water in anticipation, and it was almost a disappointment that she would not be the one to eat it.  
  
Because these pies had been specifically made to be given to the one you loved most. That had been the whole point in working so hard on it; to make it desirable to eat, to present her best. The purpose of the pies was, after all, to draw the person who ingested it- hopefully, the one you loved- to you.  
  
Of course, it wasn't a **real** aphrodisiac. The teachers would never have taught that kind of thing to the students. But it was a current fade amongst young girls, and it was certainly a cute idea.   
  
Usagi sat back on her stool, and thought about it for a while the rest of the class talked excitedly. As might be expected, the class was mainly made up of girls, but that was all right. Boys generally didn't want to learn how to cook and make spells at once.   
  
She would have to figure out a spell to keep the pie from going bad since there wasn't a freezer in this place. It was still a few weeks till she planned to give it to him, and there was very little doubt in her mind that he would be receiving at least a dozen other pies, so…  
  
The thing was, the boy she liked so much was liked by almost every other girl in the school. He was incredibly handsome, a bit of a trouble-maker, and one of the most popular and well-liked guys in the school. So he'd probably be receiving so many pies that he wouldn't know what to do with them.  
  
It would be best to wait till everyone was 'pie-less,' and when perhaps she might have a better chance of him accepting. Hopefully, he wouldn't be disgusted by pies by that time.  
  
It would be nice to have her love returned, she thought to herself. She smiled a little, wondering what she might do if, as though out of her wildest dreams, he accepted her confession. That was too good to be true, she tried to tell herself, to deny herself the fancy that something might be able to work out before she got her hopes up.   
  
The bell chimed for passing period, and almost as one, all of the students rose. A few had already sampled their pies- some of which had been dumped in the waste basket after they'd found their attempt at cooking to be a failure.  
  
Clutching her pie close to her chest, Usagi carefully skirted through the crowded halls, taking extra care not to get too close to anyone else. Such a simple thing meant so much to her, was a symbol of her progress and of her trials.  
  
It wasn't easy being one of the few non-European witches around. Hogwarts was a fairly elite school of wizardry, and only those with the highest potential were invited. Most of the invitees were from Europe, though on the occasion there would be a witch or wizard from Asia or the Americas. Usagi had had to work hard to develop her skills especially in subjects that came hardest to her in order to get in.  
  
Her own mother had dreamed as a girl growing up of going to Hogwarts when she came of age to go off. Although there were a few nice wizarding schools in Asia, it just hadn't been the same for her mother. The grandeur of a far-away place had been as alluring to her as some cloying perfume.  
  
Unfortunately, her mother had not been accepted. She had not studied hard enough in English, had not honed her skills to their finest potential despite her will to go only to Hogwarts. So she went off willingly- though unhappily- to a nice wizarding school in Asia- nowhere nearly as famous as Hogwarts but albeit nice.   
  
It was there that her mother had met her father, though at the time they had not gotten along too well. In the end, around the age of twenty eight or so, they had gotten married. A few years later, they gave birth to their first child- Usagi.  
  
It was about that time that her mother's latent obsession to get into Hogwarts was revived. The woman who had failed to get in and give herself the best possible future for herself saw a chance at redemption in her daughter. Even if she herself could not make it, if she trained her daughter rigorously enough... then she might make it in her place.  
  
So Usagi had 'trained.' As soon she had learned to talk, her mother was teaching her spells and how to correctly pronounce the words. When she turned five her mother began a rigorous session of potion lessons that lasted several hours every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday night that had not let up until she had actually gotten into Hogwarts. All the while her mother was constantly testing her for specialties and capabilities, fussing over this and that.  
  
It had been difficult, juggling her life of witchcraft and muggle appearances. In the mornings and throughout the afternoons she was a normal, everyday muggle student who struggled through her subjects. In the evening and into the night, she had trained laboriously to better her skills.   
  
There were only a few subjects her mother worried over her about getting good at. The first was math, so that she might now how to take measurements and the like in later years- in that aspect she had been taught and reviewed over moderately. Learning the English language had been something her mother was a stickler on. She had hired tutors, practiced diligently, and constantly had her study in order for her to understand it as though it were her own native language. At one point she had even demanded that Usagi speak only in English for a month (even though it had really only lasted about a week). But her mother had been quite adamant about making sure that Usagi wasn't inferior to any of the other candidates in doing so.  
  
In the end, though, it had all paid off. The day her invitation to Hogwarts came in was probably just about the best one of her life. Her parents had never been more proud of her. Not to mention that it was the only thing she'd ever cooked that had come out both looking and smelling good at the same time, and having any hope of actually being so.  
  
And-  
  
Usagi's thoughts were interrupted abruptly and rudely by a sudden and unforeseen force slamming into her. The wind was knocked out of her, and she was sent sprawling towards the ground with the same force that had run into her landing on top of her.  
  
That wasn't the worst part, though. When the person or thing- or whatever it had been- had bumped into her, they had managed to jar her arms upward. She had been clutching the pie tightly so as not to drop it, but hadn't expected for the outcome to end up worse than that possibility.  
  
Slowly, Usagi extricated what was left of her pie from her face, and looked down at the ruined desert. Shock gripped her mind as she tried to make out what had happened. The remains of her pie smothered both her face and haphazardly remained in the tin, dark red goop smeared all over her face with bits of crust.  
  
The sound of sniggers and laughter brought her back out of her stricken state of mind. Usagi slowly looked up, and felt a little bit of the jelly drip off of her face. Slowly, she looked around at the people around her. From her position on the floor, they all looked like mountains, gaping down at her in her moment of misfortune.  
  
So many strangers... a sea of people that she didn't know. A few were laughing or sniggering, pointing at her like she was some kind of freak side show attraction in a carnival. Some looked at her with shock or pity in their eyes; sometimes a mixture of both.  
  
Still, no one moved forward to help her.  
  
The sudden sound of raucous laughter drew her attention away from the whispering crowd that had gathered. She was greeted to the sight of two boys laughing so hard that they had to use each other as support to keep from falling all over themselves.  
  
She recognized them vaguely as two Slytherins, Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape. She knew because she shared potions with the two, and Severus and Lucius were partners, best friends, and perfect in that class. Severus himself had a bit of crust and goop on the back of his robes and in his hair, but if he noticed he didn't seem to mind.   
  
"Ah, ah ha! What a wonderful thing to do to one of your own House members, Black," crowed Lucius maliciously between fits of laughter. His cruel eyes bore down on her again before breaking into a fresh peal of laughter. "Don't worry about it, you stupid foreigner- thanks to Black here, you've found a better look!"  
  
Usagi turned her gaze, and saw none other than Sirius Black. It was obvious that before he had been fighting from the position he was in, but he now looked uncertain. Usagi's eyes locked with his, and she could see clearly in his eyes that this whole situation had been a mistake.  
  
And yet, a small grin was helplessly creeping up on his face, despite how hard he was fighting it. Usagi's eyes widened, and for a moment she couldn't breathe. _You, too, of all people... You want to laugh at me, too? Am I so pathetic...?_  
  
Usagi's face burned with shame, and her eyes stung with a burning sensation as tears of humiliation slowly welled up. This was like something from her most mortifying nightmares, only she wouldn't wake up to find that it wasn't real.  
  
Usagi fought off the tears, but it was to no avail. Hot, salty tears beaded up and rolled down her jelly-covered cheeks, spilling and running like tiny rivers over mounds of cherry-flavored syrup chunks. Low sobs slowly fought their way out of her chest and up her throat, turning into a pitiful, mournful, wailing sound.  
  
How strangely ironic it was that her most important thing had been destroyed utterly. With only one look, one gesture, this boy had managed to break her heart. By laughing at her... by destroying the very pie that she had intended to give to him... Oh, the irony!  
  
Further humiliated by this emotional display, Usagi covered her gooey face with her hands, trying to hide what little she could. She had no dignity in front of these people, no composure, and she felt wounded.  
  
_Have you changed? The Sirius I met those years about wouldn't have laughed..._, she wondered miserably. She felt crushed, as though her heart had ended up more splattered than her pie.  
  
"What is going on here," demanded a sharp old voice that could belong to none other than Professor McGonagall. The crowd that had formed quickly parted to let the elder woman through, and some even began to leave, recognizing that the show was over.  
  
Usagi continued to cry, unable to face anyone. Her face was wrenched up out of her hands by a firm grip on her chin. Usagi was amazed the strength behind those frail looking hands. She looked up at the professor in shock, teary eyes staring straight into the older woman's eyes without ever really seeing her.  
  
The sobs that she had been emitting had trailed off to a low keening sound, and the tears momentarily slowed to a stop. She sniffled miserably, trying to get a hold of herself.  
  
"Who here is responsible for this," Professor McGonagall boomed out, sounding like a crash of thunder embodied into a woman's voice. Usagi couldn't help but be further amazed and in awe of the woman in front of her, and gaped up at her stupidly.  
  
The sharp-eyed, quick-witted woman looked around, and spotted the three culprits easily. "Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Snape, and Mr. Black," she pronounced, slowly going over their names and watching each boy stiffen in turn. Professor McGonagall was well known for losing her temper over little things, but somehow the feeling permeated in the air that she would not just 'let them go' after publicly humiliating one of her students.  
  
"Why am I not surprised," the woman asked, sounding tired. Maybe it was because this was the fifth time she'd caught them fighting in the halls- never mind the number of times they'd assaulted each other with magic- and the second time they'd caught some innocent by-stander up into their fight.  
  
"This will no longer be tolerated," the woman snapped, eyes flashing. "Please report to the Headmaster's office."  
  
The boys looked and sounded ready protest, when the sound of Usagi's wailings slowly began to work up again.  
  
After having caught sight of her pie tin and what was left of all her dreams and hard work, a feeling of pure depression had overwhelmed her like a wave from the sea. She had been powerless to stop it, and had been swept up under it easily.  
  
Usagi couldn't help but feel that her misery was worsening under their eyes and scrutiny. She could feel Severus's and Lucius's twin beams of disgust and hatred boring down on her, McGonagall's pity, and Sirius's blank stare.  
  
_Please... please just go away. Don't look at me,_ she begged, crying again. She was ashamed of her behavior- crying like a child when she hadn't really even been hurt.   
  
The truth was, though, that despite the lack of physical wounds, there was a fresh one being branded on her heart. It was the symbolism of her short-comings in her life, brought to her by a single blow.  
  
Usagi found herself being dragged to her feet and walked down the hall to Madam Pompfrey's office. No doubt they would be looking for physical injuries, and would clean up her face and the like. But nothing they could say or do would help.  
  
She left behind the forgotten tin pan to be discarded by Filch or trampled on by other students, placidly allowing herself to be led to the nurse's office.  
  
_I cannot be healed...._

**

  
  
The short meeting in the Headmaster's office had been awkward. Professor McGonagall was still steamed about their behavior- alienating a fellow student, brawling in the hallways like muggle heathen-children, and not even having the decency to apologize for their actions.  
  
Maybe, if it weren't for their past problems, things wouldn't have been so bad. But as it was, they had a record of fighting and making trouble, and the situation with the Gryffindor girl didn't help at all. In the end, they were given a week's worth of detention with Filch, of all people, and had been ordered to apologize to the girl.  
  
Sirius was certain that Dumbledoor had let them off so lightly because he knew that getting the girl mixed up in that had been an accident. Still, the reproving look in the wise, old man's eyes was enough to make him feel properly ashamed.   
  
On his way out and to the common room, he was assaulted by his guilty conscious. _You could have at least helped her up. Making a girl cry like that... what kind of a person are you? And nearly laughing at her? You're almost as bad as Snape._  
  
Sirius frowned at that. He, as bad as Snape? His mortal enemy? If that were true, he'd have to drown himself in the shower room that night. Honestly, though, it wasn't like he'd meant to do that to her. If only she hadn't gotten in the way...  
  
_She **did** look pretty funny, though_, he couldn't help but admit to himself. That heart-shaped face covered in dark red-purple sauce, wide blue eyes staring up at him unblinkingly...  
  
"So how bad is it," James asked, loping up to him. He looked a bit concerned, but not overly so. Behind him came the rest of the Marauders, with Lily, of course. Ever since James had started going out with her, she'd been quite adamant about tagging along with them. A pretty pushy girl, really.  
  
"I got a week's worth of detention with Filch," he complained to his friends. James winced visibly in sympathy.  
  
"Are you going to be able to survive that," Peter asked, sounding more than a bit skeptical. Sirius only shrugged in return, as though to say he had no idea.  
  
"I think you deserved that, and more," Lily declared loudly, throwing her own two-cents in.   
  
Sirius's eyes narrowed. Of course she would; for some reason, Lily always found a reason to pick on him. "Is that so?"  
  
"Yes, 'that is so,'" she retorted at him rather brusquely, mocking his words with a falsely deep voice. "Didn't you see that look on her face? You humiliated her in front of a bunch of people that she didn't even know, plus Slytherin scum!"  
  
By now, Lily was pointing at him and working up to a yell. "If it weren't for your obsession with trying to make Snape miserable, she wouldn't have had to go through that. On top of that, you didn't even help her up or offer an apology!"  
  
Sirius grumbled and sighed. "Yeah, well, I've got what I earned, happy? And I have to apologize to her... Dumbledoor said so," he said, sounding annoyed. "Though undoubtedly those Slytherins won't..."  
  
"Well, then. If you have to apologize, then here's your chance," Lily pointed out, sounding pleased with herself. "She's right there," she said, pointing.  
  
Sirius turned to look, and sure enough... it was her. Or at least he assumed it to be her- no one else would ever wear their hair in a style like that. She certainly stood out from the crowd.  
  
Before Sirius could protest or make an excuse, Lily pushed/dragged him over to the smaller girl.  
  
On closer inspection, Sirius could see what she looked like. She had delicate features, golden-peach skin, and wide blue eyes. Those same eyes that were so expressive were currently red-rimmed from crying, and Sirius felt another flash of guilt.   
  
_I made her cry... She looked at me with eyes that begged me to help her, to deny what they said... but I just stood there._  
  
But why did he care, anyhow? Sure, what he'd done was wrong, but he accepted that and was willing to try and make up for it. For some reason, though, he couldn't help but take it a bit more personally than that.  
  
Her image clicked in his head, and he recognized her as a girl he had once helped. She had been a first year to his second, and had gotten lost on the stairs when they'd shifted. When he'd come across her, she'd been a sniveling, red-rim-eyed, snot-nose mess.  
  
He had helped her to find her way, though it took a good while- there was a reason why she was so lost; that floor was like a labyrinth. By the time they'd reached her destination, she was severely late but had brightened up considerably. He had been surprised by how cute she was when she wasn't crying, and just how pretty she really became when she smiled...  
  
_That smile... I would like to see that smile again..._  
  
Suddenly faced with having to apologize, Sirius realized he was in trouble. This had never been something he'd been good at. Sirius had a lot of pride, so it was hard to swallow. But if he didn't do it now- and correctly, to boot- Lily would never let him live it down.

**

  
  
Usagi felt emotionally and physically drained of energy. Crying always did that to her, along with making her look like a wreck who'd just had some kind of emotional breakdown. All she wanted to do now was go to sleep...  
  
"Oh, oh!" One of the girls nearby excitedly whispered to her friends, having seen something of great interest to her. "Look who's coming this way," the excited girl squealed, accompanied by the echoed squeals of her friends.  
  
Usagi rubbed he temples, trying to fight off the building headache that was causing her to feel more than a little snappish. _Can't you just be quiet_, she wondered to herself?  
  
A sudden shadow overcame her, and Usagi was startled out of her thoughts. Usagi looked up from where she was sitting to see a rather familiar face.  
  
Sirius Black stood in front of her, only this time he wasn't laughing. Instead he looked rather uneasy, and there was a guilty look on his face.  
  
The girl behind him gave a nudge, as though to try and cue him, but either he was stubborn or not paying attention because he didn't do or say anything. The girl gave her a look as though to say, Why do I bother?, which Usagi could understand since all men were, undoubtedly, helpless. (1)  
  
Usagi stood up, brushing imaginary dust off of her robes. The court yard had grown quiet over the past few minutes, as though they were expecting a show. This isn't a soap opera, you nosy gits, she snarled mentally at them, bad mood doubling with this new twist.  
  
"Can I help you," she finally asked, breaking the tension and bringing him back to reality.  
  
"Ah, uhm... I'm, uhm... Er, that is... I... I'm sorry about earlier," he blurted uneasily, stumbling over his words.  
  
Usagi blinked at his declaration, which had been almost shouted, as though he had been choking over the words and that was the only way he could get them out. She looked at him dumbfounded, and uncertain if she should trust him.  
  
Earlier in the bathroom while washing the remnants of her dessert off of her face, Usagi had come to the rather bitter conclusion that maybe Sirius wasn't such a great person after all. It hadn't been something that had been easy for her to try and think about- for the past four years she'd had a steady, mounting crush on the older boy.  
  
It was built partially out of adoration, thankfulness for the kindness he'd shown her once, and the image he put out. She had realized then, while blowing her nose on a paper towel, that she didn't really know the 'real' Sirius Black.   
  
_I don't know what to make of you_, she sighed to herself. _One moment you seem like a really nice person, and the next you're kicking me while I'm down._  
  
He was still stumbling on, trying to find the right words to apologize to her. Usagi smiled just a little bit, eyes softening. He was probably just a really nice guy that hadn't meant to cause her any trouble. She could see now that he was sincere... So she might as well give him mercy.  
  
"It's alrig-" Usagi began to say, an obtuse lie. It wasn't okay, because he'd made her feel miserable. And it wasn't alright because she didn't know how she was going to confess her love to him now. Above even that was the fact that the Slytherins would never let her live it down.  
  
But it was okay, because he was trying to apologize, to be a nice person. In her eyes, he was rectifying himself. So it was a bit of a shame when he went and ruined it.  
  
"But, you know, it kind of was your fault," he blurted out.  
  
Usagi's eyes widened considerably, and her mouth parted in a small 'o' shape. "Wh-what," she sputtered out, confused. One moment he was apologizing and sounding tremendously guilty... And the next he was blaming her? What on earth...?  
  
"Well, you know... I mean, you shouldn't have been walking around with food in the halls. It's kind of like asking for trouble. Not to mention that you got in the way."  
  
Usagi felt the shock beginning to wear off, and a deep sense of self-righteous anger began to churn through her blood. Her fists clenched; who the hell was he to tell her that the whole fiasco was her fault? She hadn't been the one fighting in the hallway!  
  
"Oh, really," she asked, her voice soft but cold, steely, and hard. Usagi's eyes had narrowed. Dig your grave deeper, buddy. I dare you.  
  
"Well, yeah... I mean... If you hadn't shown up, I could have pummeled both Lucius and Severus. And I wouldn't have gotten caught by McGonagall, and that means I wouldn't have to serve detention with Filch with **those** two for a week!" (1)  
  
In any other situation, she would have felt sorry for him. But at the moment, the only thing she could feel towards him was a mounting fury accompanied by humiliation. _How could you. How could you hurt me like this twice in one day?_  
  
Usagi's eyes remained narrow, and the air around her had taken a plummet in degrees. Her aura was flashing off a dangerous red around her, enveloping her like bloody halo.   
  
Lily herself had backed a few feet away from Sirius as it was. She had tried to warn Sirius of his mistake, but he wasn't listening anymore. Instead, he was prattling on about how the whole situation was her fault, which even he knew wasn't true.  
  
_Why did I ever think you were a kind person... What did I see in you_, Usagi asked herself, feeling almost betrayed. She would rather have remained watching him from afar, unknowing of just what kind of person he really was than to have all of her romantic dreams crushed in such a cruel way.  
  
_I thought you were someone I could trust and love..._  
  
"...You have to admit, though... It was kind of funny, seeing you with that pie on your face."  
  
Usagi snapped about then. She couldn't help but feel disappointed and confused by what she was face with. The boy in front of her was acting exactly opposite to her than he had when they'd first met.  
  
Then, his face had been so kind... He had joked with her, entertained her, helped her find her way back even though it meant he was missing his own class. Why was he being this way...  
  
_You're not the person I thought you were._  
  
Usagi's hand moved swiftly through the air, as though it had a mind of its own. It connected with the unprepared Sirius Black's cheek with a loud snapping sound that echoed easily through the silent area.  
  
Usagi, who generally didn't think much of violence, and had never hit anyone before slapped Sirius hard enough to make the boy's head turn with its force. Shooting pain sprung up from the skin where her hand had met his cheek. Already a red imprint made by her hand adorned his cheek, and Usagi hoped that his cheek hurt as much as her hand did.  
  
Cradling her throbbing hand, Usagi began to cry for the third time that day, under the guise that her hand was causing her pain rather than her heart.   
  
_I really loved you..._  
  
"You stupid, insensitive, conceited jerk," she cried, her loud, normally-sweet voice shouted clearly over the intense silence. "Just who do you think you are," she demanded, advancing on him, jabbing her finger at his chest.  
  
In his stupor, Sirius only backed away, gaping at the girl who had suddenly changed faces on him. Before him stood a girl who could give Lily a run for her money in her worst temper tantrums, and her wrath was currently fixed on him.  
  
As suddenly as she turned on him, she whipped around and began to walk away. She grabbed her bag and headed off.  
  
_I just wanted for you to return my love..._  
  
"Someone like you isn't worth my time," she tossed over her shoulder stoically, trying to hide her tears. Inside, something felt like it was being slowly and painfully being ripped to pieces. Every word drove a blade through her heart, hurt her further...  
  
Because she was confessing a truth about him that she had wanted anything but to accept.  
  
_Stupid gits... you got your show. Are you happy?_

****

  
  
(1) -- By '**those** two,' Sirius is referring to both Severus and Lucius, although Mrs. Norris and Filch probably aren't that high up on their list, either... ^.~

Also! There's just a little thing I'd like to say. Reviews would make me very, very happy. There's only a very small fraction of Sirius x Usagi stories out there, at least compared to all of the Draco x Usagi and Harry x Usagi. So, anyhow, this is my request: If you enjoy what you read here, say so! Even better, contribute a piece of your own! And go read 'That was then, this is now' by Elissa-Dido and 'Mrs. Sirius Black' by Serenity. Just remember to please be polite when you review to anyone- being mean or cursing at them just upsets people and makes them resentful. ^^

Be on the lookout for Part B (or 2, whatever) in the future!   
  
**Fin for Part A**


	2. Part B

  
  
**Apple or Cherry?**  
  
**Part B** (2/3)

**Contact at:** tenshi_no_nozomi@hotmail.com  
  
**Author's Blurb:   
**This is probably going to be the shortest out of the three chapters... I should think so, anyhow. Oh! Also... the letter from Usagi's mother will be centered and written in bold.

And you know how I said this would probably be the shortest chapter? … I think I lied. ^^;; (I hope I did…)

I was surprised by the number of reviews I got! And, uhm, the numbers of semi-violent reviews… ^^;; lol. People, remember- boys are defective by nature. It's in their gender. So don't be so harsh on poor Siri…  
  
**Thanks to:  
**  
Usa-chan for kindly beta reading this for me. Doomo arigato for all of your suggestions! This work would not be as good as it is if it weren't for her!

Also! Thanks to all of the wonderful, wonderful people who reviewed my work! I received 25 reviews for the first chapter alone, plus at least two reviews sent to my email! I can't even list all of your names!! Well, I could, but it would delay the update. Do you really want that? ( I promise, on the last chappie I will list all of the people reviewed me, even though it may take half a page.)

But you guys don't know how much I really appreciate the way you took the time to review for me. Thank you ever so much- it was inspiring!

****

  
  
The gossip and whispers and excited conversations that had sprung up after Usagi's departure had been amazing, almost deafening. Sirius had clutched at his cheek for a long time, oblivious to the whole world. It had taken all of them to drag Sirius to the library where they might not be bothered.  
  
"Wow! Did you see that girl? She was livid," Peter commented, sounding awed and a little cowed. "She reminded me of my mum..."  
  
"Somehow I'm not sure your mother would appreciate that comparison," James replied, shaking his head. Her anger had been something to marvel at, but at the same time...  
  
Remus returned from Madame Pomfrey's office with a bag of ice. "She won't give me a healing spell," he explained. "She said you'd have to do it the muggle way if you wouldn't go in to see her."  
  
Sirius pressed the cool bag wrapped in a paper towel to his cheek, looking just as silent and thoughtful as he had for about the past half hour. Lily was beginning to get annoyed; the shock should have worn off by now.  
  
So what if every girl in the world didn't worship the ground he walked on? It would be good for Sirius to learn a lesson or two before he got in over his head at marriage and his wife had to beat him into complacency.  
  
"I can't believe you, Sirius. I mean, that girl was ready to accept your apology, and then you went and screwed it up. Why did you do that," she demanded, her hands on her hips, scowling at Sirius.  
  
Sirius frowned back at her, finally coming out of his stupor. "I didn't mean to," he growled sullenly.   
  
Lily sighed, and sat back on a stool. "Well, I guess it's not your fault you're a failure... But that girl had some points," Lily commented, growing a bit thoughtful. She was teasing, of course, but she caught a look in Sirius's eyes that was something akin to a brief flash of pain.  
  
Sirius would never have bothered to be offended by something she said, so what was... It dawned on her that she'd seen that same expression of his face when Usagi had slapped him. A flash of hurt, almost betrayal...  
  
Was it possible that Sirius had a light crush on that girl? Interesting...  
  
_But they'll never get together at this rate. Not after Sirius made such a total ass of himself._ A conniving grin slowly spread across Lily's face. Maybe it was time to start playing matchmaker...   
  
"After all," she went on, "you **are** incredibly insensitive, or at least a total block head."   
  
"You don't what you're talking about," Sirius growled back, beginning to feel more than offended.  
  
"Don't I, though? I mean, even Peter is more of a man than you are..."  
  
At once, both parties cried out in protest at Lily's claim. James felt very nervous about this- he could tell that Lily was up to something, but he wasn't sure what. Remus just watched the sparks fly as the two argued amongst themselves.  
  
"It's only the truth! A real man would have apologized to her instead of trying to place the blame on her **just** because he couldn't stand to take the blame!"  
  
"That's not what happened," Sirius protested.  
  
"Then what did? I bet you couldn't have apologzed to that girl and ever really have meant it. The point of that pie- as I've heard- that you so **callously** destroyed-"  
  
Sirius interrupted Lily's dramatics, practically yelling at the top of his lungs by now. "Damn it, that was Snape's fault!"  
  
The sudden sound of a wand being wrapped on a desk and an insistent 'shh'ing sound broke through their argument. From behind her desk, the librarian was giving them the whole lot of them a death glare. She wrapped on the scroll on the wall where the words 'No Talking' were clearly printed in several languages.  
  
Both parties lowered their voices considerably, but continued to argue.   
  
"As I was saying, that pie was supposed to be given to the person she loved as a 'confession of love," Lily hissed, waiting to see if Sirius would take the bait.  
  
"Confession of-" Sirius's eyes widened as he absorbed that information. There was a curious look to his eyes, half-delighted almost... Before the look was promptly brushed away, though not before Lily got enough proof that she could possibly need.  
  
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of in my **life**," he hissed.  
  
"I bet she didn't think it was stupid," Lily defended. "That pie was probably very important to her."  
  
Sirius snorted in return. "Then she should just make antoher one," he replied dismissively... trying to hold off the curious thoughts at war in his mind.  
  
_Who would she have given it to...?_  
  
"Is that what you think, then," Lily said, feeling more than a little angry at Sirius's lack of compassion. She wouldn't go so far as to say he was completely insensitive, but he obviously didn't understand what it meant to put your heart into something.  
  
"Well, then I guess you wouldn't mind making one for her to offer as a sincere apology. Maybe then you'll understand just how much something like that can mean to someone!"  
  
Sirius let out a loud laugh, earning him another death glare. He struggled to keep his voice low as he replied. "Hell, no. Like I'd ever do something so stupid."  
  
_And yet..._   
  
Lily could see a small flicker in his eyes of interest despite his protests. She was winning! It was time to pull out the big guns, now. "Oh, I see.... Well, if you're **afraid** to apologize to her, well, then I guess there's not much anyone can do..."  
  
There was nothing like the appeal to the male ego to get them going. And if that didn't do it, then as an extra measure of procaution... "I wonder what Severus and Lucius would think if they knew you were afraid to apologize to one girl...?"  
  
Sirius had to bite the cheek of his mouth to restrain himself from yelling at the top of his lungs. "I'm not afraid of apologizing to anyone. And making a pie'd be a synch."  
  
Lily couldn't help but feel like the cat that had managed to capture the canary and get a hold of the cream as well. Lily: 2, Sirius: 0. "Then you accept the challenge," she asked, unable to stop the sly tone from creeping out of her voice.  
  
"Of course, you stupid tomboy," Sirius shouted, using his usual insult for her when he was pissed off at her.... which was more often than not.  
  
"We're going to get kicked out of the library for good, aren't we," Peter asked.  
  
"It would seem that way," Remus replied as the librarian began to stalk towards them, her popping veins looking rather unhealthy.

**

  
Usagi sat quietly on her bed, hugging her plush bunny close to her body. There was silence in the room at the moment, as most people were off with their friends doing whatever they did in their free time. She cuddled her plush doll a little bit closer and heaved a large sigh from her chest. The day's events had exhausted her, and truth to tell... she was already beginning to regret her actions. 

She hadn't treated him with any consideration, slapping him like that. If anything, she was just like him- humiliating him in front of all sorts of people, and then leaving him stranded. She was sure that his friends would come to his aid, but that wasn't the point. 

_No. I was worse... Above all that, I called him names._ Usagi squeezed her eyes shut and breathed deeply, despite the fact that she had no tears left in her to cry. _I acted like a spoiled child._

There was no point in dwelling in the past, she knew, or in feeling sorry for herself. But it was so much easier to state those truths than to follow them, and Usagi had never been very good at taking advice. 

Sighing to herself again, Usagi pulled out a small scroll from her book bag. It was from her mother, and she had received it during mail call earlier in the day, though between all of the fiascos... she had never had the time to open it. Usagi gently ripped the red and gold seal on the scroll, and spread it out to read. 

**Dear Usagi,**

  
 How are things going for you? I know with Christmas having passed only a short while ago, you are most likely recovering from having to study and overwork yourself. Were your exams hard?  
  
A few of your friends stopped by the other day-- the ones that you told about you going off to a foreign school. They seemed so shocked that you hadn't come back yet. I suppose the silly muggles thought you were going to fail, or find it too hard and simply give up and come home.  
  
Your brother's been a bit irritated. Your father and I think it's because he hasn't shown much in the way of magical potential, and here we are spouting off about you every day. I think maybe he could use a little rest...  
  
Which isn't to say that we are going to forget you or stop talking about you. You've made the both of us- no, all of us- terribly proud. I'm so happy that I was able to give you what I couldn't have myself. I'm a little jealous, I must admit, but whenever we receive those little photos of you with your new friends, I just feel my heart about to burst.  
  
Anyhow, I know that you must have been disappointed about you not being able to come home for Christmas. I'm very sorry about that, dear. But with your father working over time during the busy season and the emergency that we had last-minute... Well, we were very grateful that Dumbledoor was so kind.   
  
Please try to understand that we never intended for you to have to stay there. We all missed you very much- I know I was not the only person lonely. Christmas just isn't really Christmas without your loved ones, even if you have all the decorations in the world.  
  
We were thinking, though, that we'd come and pick you up during the Easter holidays. I know you probably would have preferred for this to be the other way around, but we really do miss you. I want to see my little girl again before Summer rolls around. I feel like you're growing all up, and I'm not even around to see it...  
  
That's pretty much it. Send us an owl when you get the chance, dear- but don't feel rushed.  
  
Love,   
Mommy  
  
PS: When do you plan on getting yourself a boyfriend? I want grandchildren!

Usagi gave a small, dry laugh at the last part. It was a bit of an inside joke- her father often times joked that just after Shingo was born, Ikuko began to whine about grandchildren (even though at the time Usagi would have been about two, almost three).  
  
Her smile faded as she thought about the day's events. _I wonder what she'd say if she knew I'd gone off and ruined my chances of being with the person I love... She'd probably start trying to train me to properly propose._ Another small smile haunted her lips momentarily.  
  
So, her friends had come to see if she had come home and had been too ashamed to return to school...? Usagi couldn't help but feel a small wave of anger- which normally would have been about the size of a tsunami- roll through her. 

When she had told them she was 'transferring' to a foreign school in Europe in order to get a better education, they had all nearly laughed. Rei and Makoto had even placed bets on how soon it would be till she dropped out.  
  
She couldn't really blame them, though. Between all of her studying and trying to fight as a senshi, she had stretched herself far too thin- consequently, she became a horrible student, always sleeping in, coming in late, and hardly ever doing her homework. 

Usagi wasn't a very physical person- she'd nearly flunked Phys ED in elementary school, if such a thing were possible- and she didn't like physical violence. Fighting youmas had been a terrifying experience for her, from the beginning up until the very end.  
  
In Usagi's opinion, they were too young to be out fighting the forces of evil- and if her father ever found out that she had ever worn a pleated mini-skirt around town along with boots... he'd murder her no matter the circumstances. As Luna had once pointed out to her, though, you couldn't choose when evil would strike. You just had to make do.   
  
Usagi had handed over her moon wand the day she'd left Japan. Not wanting to possibly lure any monsters out of Japan, she had figured she could defend herself with the wand her mother bought for her. (1) Plus they'd need it to finish off the youma. Why they still had refused to believe it even after that, she didn't know.  
  
She wondered briefly if they were all right, but figured since they were still alive that they were just fine. Not to mention the fact that she'd- thankfully- never gotten any emergency rings on her Communicator. She still had a feeling that when she got back, she'd be in for an earful.  
  
Christmas... Usagi had so been looking forward to Christmas. The plan was she'd take the Hogwarts Express back to the train station, her parents would pick her up, and they'd Portkey back home. It had been only a couple of days 'till Winter Break that Dumbledoor had broken it to her that there had been a family emergency, and that instead of going home... she'd stay there for winter break.  
  
Usagi had been, ultimately, crushed. She had missed her friends and family so dearly, and even though she would still have people to celebrate with... it hadn't seemed the same. Not to mention that the few friends she'd made here were leaving for the holidays.  
  
In fact, on Christmas Eve, she'd cried so hard and so long that when she got up in the morning, her eyes were swollen shut for a whole twenty minutes. She must have made a sad picture on Christmas Morning, red eyed and red-nosed as Rudolf. But if anybody had noticed, they hadn't said anything, aside from giving her pitying or curious looks.  
  
If anything, though, it was a pretty good day- because when she'd sat down to eat she'd ended up across from Sirius, who'd shared a cracker (1) with her. When the paper had busted open, the confetti had fallen, and both of them had purple faces... when he had started laughing at the two of them... Usagi had smiled, feeling alright again.  
  
_Why. Why did you continue to show me those sweet, wonderful sides of you... and then go and prove me wrong?_ Usagi sighed. She was tired of thinking things over, and would rather do something spontaneous... but she was just too tired. She felt worn and cold and exhausted in seemingly every way.  
  
The room to the girls' dormitory opened, and in strode Lily, much to her shock. The other girl looked around, spotted Usagi, and headed right over. _I wish I had confidence like that…_  
  
Usagi felt her stomach twist into nervous, apprehensive knots. Would she be mad about the way she'd treated Sirius earlier? Of course she would. She wondered if the older girl would just make a cold comment, chew her out, or beat her up.  
  
"That pie," Lily began. "Who did you make it for?"  
  
Of all the things Usagi had been expecting the other girl to ask, that hadn't been it. Not in a million years would she have guessed. "Huh," Usagi asked, confused, sitting up.  
  
"Your pie- I know it was kind of an 'aphrodisiac' to give to the person that you love. In order to bind them to you, or something."   
  
For a moment, Usagi said nothing. Very quietly, with lowered eyes, she responded, "You're supposed to give it to the person you love the most, as symbolism of offering yourself to them... and when they accept it and eat it, that's supposed to be symbolism of them reciprocating that love. Though I don't know how truthful the second would be with an aphrodisiac in it..."  
  
Lily's eyes widened in surprise; she would have thought for sure that the teachers would have forbidden something like that. An intrusion of free will to that proportion wasn't generally accepted very well by the school, and could result in the perpetrator's expulsion because of how hard it was to break aphrodisiacs, especially when they'd been consumed.  
  
"You mean there was an aphrodisiac in you pie," she asked, sounding more amazed than she meant to. In truth, she should have been disgusted by such an impulsive, selfish love- the idea of making someone return your love wasn't exactly one Lily liked.  
  
Usagi's eyes instantly rose to meet hers, becoming almost steely. "No," she replied just as softly as before. "That was strictly prohibited for us to do by the teacher." She paused for a moment, as though considering her words before adding, "And I would never have put one in, anyhow. I want my love to be returned truly."  
  
Lily remained quiet for a moment, before repeating her question. "Who were you going to give it to?"  
  
Instantly Usagi blushed. "That's kind of personal, don't you think?"  
  
Lily fought off a grin. "Really, though. I wanna know- who were you going to give it to?"  
  
Usagi rose from her seat hastily, gathering her things to take a bath. She had decided to skip dinner for once- gasp!- and go to bed early. She was hungrier for sleep, anyhow. "It doesn't really matter now, does it," she asked, skirting around the question as she walked off.  
  
"Please," the older girl pleaded with her, stopping her in her tracks. "Please, I need to know-- **who were you going to give that pie to**," she demanded once more, sounding almost beseeching.  
  
Usagi slowly turned back around and met the girl's gaze with a solemn look of her own. She studied the other girl's eyes for a moment, before reaching her conclusion. Somehow, in some way, despite- or perhaps because of- her actions, the girl had guessed. 

"You shouldn't ask questions that you already know the answers to," Usagi replied steadily before heading to the shower room.

**

Professor McGonagall sighed to herself. It was on days like this that she was glad she ordered imported tea from China, spelled strongly against colds, fevers, and above all… migraines. It would have been horribly bitter if it weren't for the sweet honey in it.

"Did I do the wrong thing, Albus," she asked, taking a sip of the naturally sweetened tea.

"Why do you ask that, Minerva," he asked, looking up from some paper work and pushing his spectacles up his nose. Even now, when both adults were being perfectly serious, his eyes still sparkled with that mischievous air.

"To send those boys to your office. To request that they serve detention with Filch. To have them apologize."

Dumbledoor placed his quill in his ink jar and leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands thoughtfully. "You did the right thing, Minerva. They earned punishment this time- you are not the only person who has warned them against fighting.

"As for the girl… It would probably do them good to learn to apologize. I don't think any of them have learned how to do it yet."

Professor McGonagall became thoughtful herself for a moment, uncertain if she should reveal  the rumors she'd heard running around about her own students. Would it make her sound unable to control her own charges…?

"From what I've heard, the young lady in question reacted… very badly to Mr. Black's apology."

"Oh, did she," Dumbledoor asked, sounding amused this time. Sure enough, his bright eyes twinkled knowingly. _Perhaps he knew before I even said anything…?_

"Should she be disciplined, sir?"

For a moment, Dumbledoor didn't answer. Instead, he got up and stared out of one his bay windows. "Normally, I might say yes… But… We will not always be around to guard these children. It would be best if we leave their interactions and the solutions to their problems for them to solve…

"Though I must say it's odd that Ms. Tsukino would resort to physical violence, I do not think we will have to much to worry about from her. She's a more cheerful, sweet person. In fact," he said, concluding as well as perhaps convincing and speaking to himself, "much good might come out of this."

"Headmaster," McGonagall asked, feeling confused. She couldn't always keep up with Albus; his mental wanderings were too much for her to try to keep up with. The man was wise, kind, and forgiving, but he was also a genius- which meant he wasn't always totally sane.

"Minerva, my dear, we must let these children grow up. For now, let them be- if things continue to go downhill, then we will intervene."

The older man sat back down, adjusted the glowing orb of light over head, and picked up his quill to write again.

**

Lily grinned to herself, quite pleased with her findings. It had taken a good deal of digging, but they'd managed to come up with a copy of that recipe for an Aphrodisiac Pie- which, despite its unoriginality, had been its name. Provided, they'd had to sneak into the Forbidden Books area with James's Invisibility Cloak, but the risk was worth the cause.

The risk? That if they got caught back not only in the Forbidden Books section but up after curfew wandering around… It'd be more than a week with Filch and Mrs. Norris for the both of them.

_And with only a few alterations, it'll be just fine… We'll call it a 'Confession Pie' instead,_ she decided. She quickly copied down the recipe, taking care to make sure all of the ingredients were spelled correctly and that she had the correct numbers written as well.

"Just where are we going to get the ingredients for this, Lily," Sirius asked, sounding half-annoyed and half-curious.

"The only place in Hogwarts where food's kept, Sirius," she said, giving him a look that said 'Duh!' all over it. "The kitchens."

Sirius understood immediately. The House Elves in the kitchens were only all too happy to shove food on you, they'd discovered one year. They hadn't spent a single night hungry, that was for sure. Heck, they might even make the pie **for** Sirius…

_But do you really want that,_ something inside of him asked. _Do you want to take credit for something a House Elf did and try to apologize to her with that? That's not really the point, is it._

Sirius was more than a bit confused. His cheek still stung from earlier in the day, though if he'd just break down and see Madame Pompfrey… The strange thing about that was that it almost felt like an honor to wear the proof of her anger.

He knew that she put up with a lot of razzing her first year. Every once and a while, there would be some comment about her ethnicity, but in most cases, it wasn't her getting mad and casting a curse on the unlucky bastard- more often than not, a Slytherin.

Even he had seen the way her eyes sometimes looked far off and sad. That Christmas she had looked heart broken and ready to cry. He'd felt for her, being an unwanted son himself at his home, and done his best to cheer her up.

_You don't know much about her, do you,_ that same small voice pointed out. _How can you be so sure that you love someone when you don't even know about them?_

It was true. He didn't know about her family or her background, and he didn't know what she liked to do or wanted to be. He'd seen, though, her smiling face around the school enough times to have her grinning face branded into his mind- there was such sincerity in that smile even when she was obviously sad, such a genuine feeling that the world wasn't so bad after all, that you wanted to go along and smile with her.

He'd certainly felt it when she'd slapped him. Oh, he'd felt the force of her hand on his face and the stabbing pain from her words… Neither of those had compared to the feeling in his heart, though. He'd felt like he'd gone and swallowed it and was ready for it to come out the other end.

_I felt like something inside was **dying**…_

It had been an awful sensation, not one he was accustomed to. Like falling forever and ever while you were making a swoop on your broom, without that rush of adrenaline. Like his stomach was dropping away from him as well…

It had matched the intensity of the hurt in her azure eyes. Those eyes couldn't hide anything from anyone, didn't even bother trying to. They were too complex, though, to be understood- to complex and too raw and too real, and if you looked at them too long then you might just end up feeling along with her…

He'd thought maybe that was why he'd felt so hurt and betrayed and simply **empty** when she'd walked off without looking back at. Wasn't worth her time… If she'd slowed down, given him time to recover and figure out just what an idiot he was and how much he was beginning to care, then he probably would have crawled to her on hands and knees and begged for mercy.

_That's why I love her. It doesn't make sense, so… I'm going to find out,_ he thought with finality. He was pleased when the voice didn't pipe up this time, didn't try to distract him.

"Sirius," Lily hissed, sounding agitated. He snapped to attention and out of his reverie- what did she want…?   
  
"Didn't you hear me trying to talk to you? We have to get going now, before we get caught! And besides, if we want any sleep tonight, we need to get cracking on that pie!"

Sirius nodded in agreement, climbed to his feet, and ducked under the shelter of the invisibility cloak with Lily.

****

(1) – Originally, this was written plain 'wand,' and I'm afraid I confused my beta-reader… What I mean is, that she left her moon wand in Japan, but her mother bought her a wand made specifically for wizarding needs.

**Part B: Fin!**


	3. Part C

**Apple or Cherry?**

****

**Part C **(3/3)

**By: **Tenshi no Nozomi 

(Contact at: tenshi_no_nozomi@hotmail.com mailto:tenshi_no_nozomi@hotmail.com)

**Author's Blurb:**

Kwa! Well, we've made it. This is the third and final installment of Apple or Cherry?, and to be honest, I think I'm going to miss it. It certainly was fun to write… But it's a bit demanding on my sanity to try and update once a week, even if it is just one chapter. I'm thinking of doing perhaps another one-shot, but first I'll probably have a longer SM/HP crossover… ^^ *grins* I've been thinking about it for a while now, and I'm excited to get to it… Though I have half a dozen other projects to do.

One other thing- if cursing offends you, you may want to avoid this chapter. For some reason, this chapter seems to have a lot more of those kinds of words in it than the other two.

**Thanks to:**

My wonderful pre-reader, Usa-chan! *huggles* This girl is a miracle, I swear.

To all of the wonderful people who reviewed me! You guys are the greatest. This includes (though is probably not limited to): (I also apologize ahead of time for any names I may goof up… I've been known to do it before, so please don't be too mad at me.)

Sailorsunandchildrenofthesun, Sakura-Star-Magick, Sailor Ronin Usa-chan, Vanna Maxwell, Celestial Artemis Pendragon, Sweetie Pie, Venus, Sailor Star Scream, Celestial DreamBlaze, Serenity Silvermoon, starfury 3000, moon, Usagi Asia Maxwell, sapphireskies, ~Person, Squirrel, Fetish, SailorChibi, StArHiMe13, Crazygurl70, star-siren, Linauri, tohru-kun, kawa, Kage-Shadow-of-Darkness, Storm Demon, Dragon Girl, Htchime, MarsMoonStar, Daughter of Death, and silver sparklez. 

(This list was made up as of March 27th, 2003.) Wow! Thanks to you all, especially repeated reviewers! I feel so loved!

I'd like to take a special moment to thank **Celestial DreamBlaze** for her last review. (I'm guessing you're a girl; if not, my most humble apologies.) She pointed out to me that my spelling of Dumbledore's name was wrong. Thank you very much, and please don't  ever be afraid to correct me if I'm wrong. I promise I won't bite your head off.

Also, **Fetish**- I heard your plea, and though I don't try to be too pleasing (or else I have a habit of getting walked all over) I tried my best. I hope it was satisfying to you. I know I didn't involve the other Marauders a whole lot, but… ^^;; It was something? Ehh… Next ficlet it'll be Remus's turn, so there'll be more Maruader related fun there. Kay?

Another shout out  to **star-siren**… sorry, but those are the only two I know of. *tear*

****

Four o'clock in the morning found Sirius in the kitchen with his freshly baked apple pie, half asleep and nearly falling off of his stool in his stupor. If Lily hadn't been a total grouch and madly in love with James, she might have thought that the half-asleep, drooling, flour-covered and messy-haired Sirius might have actually passed for cute.

As it was… she was on a rampage. If Sirius thought she was 'butch' after a good night's sleep, well, he really hadn't seen any thing.

The reason for her unending rage? One James Potter had forgotten completely about their previous agreement. He was supposed to come and help her with Sirius, but instead it was likely he had forgotten, gone off and played some trick on a Slytherin and then gone to bed.

It hurt her feelings that he'd forget about her and gone off to play, especially when she was sitting around with a guy that was doing everything possible to get things right despite his lack-of-knowledge in cooking.

Little did James know that he was going to sorely regret missing out on her cooking lesson. Valentine's Day was coming up, and instead of chocolates, she had something else in mind… Namely, 'Love Confession Pie!' (1)

Lily let out a small cackle. It would teach James a thing or two about ignoring her! 

"C'mon, Sirius, get up," she ordered, picking up his pie and the invisibility cloak. He just sat there blinking at her, fighting off another round of yawns. "C'mon already! I'm tired, and tomorrow we have that exam in Potions- you know how awful you are in that!"

It wasn't great motivation, but he still got up, took off the apron he was wearing, and took the pie from her sleepily.   
  


"Not just yet," Lily practically screeched. "What, do you **want** Filch to catch us? First we have to spell that scent away, then we have to spell it so that it won't go bad, and **then **we have to creep up to the common room without being caught! Not to mention that stupid painting hanging there is such a tattletale…"

Sirius only mumbled an incomprehensive reply. Lily sighed to herself; this night had gone on for way too long. James was going to be lucky if she let him off light enough to make her a pie…

**

The next morning found Usagi feeling rather tired, which was rather surprising since she'd slept like a rock. Since coming to Hogwarts, she'd easily fallen into a steady sleep pattern, and was always eager to go to bed at night. So it was pretty odd that she felt jumpy and irate. 

Or maybe, it really wasn't such an odd thing. Ever since she'd woken up, her fellow classmates- who, ironically enough, had all been females- had been giving her dirty works. And when she'd gotten into the shower that morning, someone had hexed it so that the water wouldn't even go remotely near warm. Since she couldn't think of a counter spell at the time, she'd been forced to bath (fairly quickly) under temperatures that probably weren't far off from those in the Atlantic Ocean.

That had been the basic treatment she'd been getting all morning- in fact, it was a lot like hazing. She had a good feeling that these girls had been doing this as a means to try and defend their beloved 'Sirius.' It amazed her, though, that girls could be quite so catty.

As for the subject of Sirius… Usagi couldn't even begin to explain the source of guilt he was for. Just coming down that morning and seeing that purplish bruise on his cheek was enough to ignite her shame. She had managed to slink by him and his group unnoticed, to her relief, but she wondered just how long that luck would last.

The reason that they hadn't seen her had been largely obvious. For one, Sirius looked as though he hadn't gotten any sleep the night before. Anyone could tell, the way he was nodding off and nearly falling asleep- quite literally- into his breakfast. Lily was sending off cold and angry waves at James, who was quite oblivious to the matter and chattering on about Quidditch.

_Why are boys so horribly ignorant_, she asked herself.

Usagi sighed to herself, and fiddled with her silverware absent mindedly. She just wasn't hungry. Instead, she was feeling upset and foolish. Why did things always have to end so badly for her?

_You need to stop throwing a pity-party for yourself,_ she instructed herself steely. _It's your own fault for reacting so badly, even if he **was being a total jerk. **_

She sighed to herself, unable to shake off the gloom that clung to her like an invisible cloud. She got up from her place, food untouched, and headed off to take a short walk before class.

**

Lily fumed slightly to herself. James was as big a dimwit as Sirius was, apparently. She ought to watch out; the stupidity might be catching.

"Oh, for goodness sake, Sirius," Lily cried, grabbing his head by his hair and yanking him upright again. "You'd better wake up before you accidentally drown in your grits," she scolded him.

He muttered something that was beyond Lily's grasp. She sighed to herself, frustrated, when she saw him start to nod off again. "You'd really better wake up, or I'll toss you in the lake with the squid," Lily threatened.

Sirius let out a loud yawn, and blinked his dark cobalt eyes at her sleepily. He muttered words about being tired, but began to shovel some food weakly down his throat.

"Where are Remus and Peter, anyhow," James asked, breaking off from both eating and ranting about plays he'd seen his favorite Quidditch players execute. 

Lily sighed to herself. "Remus went to talk to one of his teachers- Arithmancy, I think it was- and who knows where Peter is," she growled in half exasperation. What did it really matter where Peter was, anyhow? Here she was, trying to make sure that Sirius ended up in a lasting relationship rather than ending up with a long parade of girl friends for the rest of his life, and James wanted to know where Peter and Remus were. 

Lily turned her attentions back to Sirius. "Have you decided how you're going to give the pie to her, yet?"

Sirius tapped his spoon gently against his chin, with a thoughtful expression on his face. "I dunno… I think I'd rather do it in private, though."

"That's a start," Lily urged encouragingly. It would probably end up happening when the 'situation was right.' In truth, there was no 'right' situation- it might actually have been better if he'd give it to her in public, because she'd noticed that Sirius's fanclub was getting just a tad out of hand with the whole 'let's-get-revenge-on-Usagi-Tsukino' thing.

A loud bell rung, signaling that in ten minutes breakfast would be over and everyone would need to get their things for class. Lily sighed; the day was already wearing on her patience. If only she had gotten some more sleep last night…

Sirius rose with a weary groan. He was off even worse than her, in her opinion. Although Sirius wasn't on the Quidditch team, he was still pretty active. He liked to duel, and he did like to ride brooms and other assorted vehicles in races. After having just recovered from exams, he was still probably trying to catch up on sleep. Then, between detention and baking that pie… 

It was a wonder that he wasn't **still in bed. **

_If he can do it, then so can I,_ Lily told herself as she got up, even though she was groaning out of fatigue on the inside.

James looked up from the food he was shoveling into his mouth to see his best friend and girl friend leaving him. He quickly swallowed, and ran after them. "Hey, hey Lil! Wait for me," he called. 

_Is it just me,_ he asked himself, _but does she seem mad at me?_

**

Potions was probably the class Usagi dreaded most out of all. Even though her mother had drilled her endlessly on it, it was such monotonous work… Usagi wasn't good with plants, measurements, or cutting things up. It was one of the last things Usagi wanted to take up as an occupation in the future.

Still, she welcomed the distraction that it brought. Since she had such a difficult time making sure she got things right, she had to be extra careful and pay super close attention to what she was doing. Which meant no day dreaming or distractive thoughts, particularly about a certain Sirius Black and the way she'd managed to stick her foot in her mouth. 

So she welcomed it, for once, and set to her task whole heartedly. Today they were learning how to create a potion that could decrease the IQ of the person who ingested it- for a limited period of time, of course. It was tricky to make it, though, so she would have to be ultra, ultra careful…

If Usagi had been paying less attention to her project, she would have noticed the spiteful giggles coming from behind her. A few girls in the row behind her were gathering all sorts of ingredients- too few of one thing needed, too many of another, missing something totally, grabbing something that didn't belong at all- and adding it to their concoction. 

It had turned a sickly yellow color, and the girls looked pleased. Although this girl was in the same year as they, no one had the right to do something like that to their precious Sirius. She'd just have to learn her place… (2) 

Carefully, they managed to ladle some of the contents into a large pot, where the brew continued to bubble despite the fact that it was no longer in the cauldron. One of the girls carefully took it, and began to walk forward as though she were bringing to the front for instructions on what she'd done wrong.

She 'accidentally' tripped over the hem of her robe, jarring her body forward and tilting the pot at a suitable angle so that the liquid inside would be splashed all over an unsuspecting Usagi.

Usagi was about to put her meticulously chopped herbs and spices into the mix when a wave of liquid hit her back. She shrieked in surprise as the liquid managed to spill inside of her robe and slide down her back, suddenly cold and slimy.

She turned around, and faced the culprit, whose face was a mocking mirror of her own; shocked looking, gaping-mouth, and wide eyes. The yellow liquid began to drip off of her clothes and uncovered skin, but began to react strangely.

The liquid began to condense, becoming spongy and porous almost. Usagi made a disgusted face, and tried to wipe it off of her arm, but became alarmed when she only retracted sticky substance that stretched with her finger tips as she moved them away from her skin. They never snapped though, like horribly strong spider webs.

That thought sent a chill up her back, as well as the fact that her uncovered skin was beginning to itch badly. She was having an allergic reaction to a potion that had just been dumped on her…

"I'm so sorry," the other girl finally managed to choke out. "I didn't mean to…"

Usagi knew better than that,  but there wasn't a lot she could do. She didn't have any witnesses who would back her up, and the teacher hadn't seen it. So in other words, despite her concrete-solid conviction, she had no evidence…

"Sensei," Usagi called, feeling increasingly alarmed as the spongy material began to crystallize. Upon her classmates' sniggers, Usagi realized that in her panic, she'd reverted to talking in Japanese. She flushed in embarrassment, though she was uncertain as to why, and called for the teacher's attention again. "Professor?!"

The female professor emerged from her scrolls and books and bottles, and all other sorts of odds and ends cluttered on her desk. She then slipped her coke-bottle-lens glasses on, blinked a few times, and then cried out in surprise.

At once, she was being whisked out of the room and to the infirmary. The teacher shouted instructions to her students, sending one boy off to find a sub and the rest to continue on with their potions. Just before she was dragged off, Usagi could see some of the malicious smirks on her fellow students' faces…

**

Sirius couldn't wait for the Lunch bell to ring. He was seriously considering sleeping through the whole thing and then skipping some classes in the afternoon in order to make up for lost sleep, but if he got too far off the regular sleep pattern… it would be disastrous.

He couldn't help but wonder just how he was going to manage to do any marauding with the others when Filch was constantly breathing down his neck, just waiting for him to even **think of slipping up. He'd seen Mrs. Norris around several times already today, watching him specifically. It was wearing thin on his nerves, needless to say.**

He needed a break, that was for sure. Between lack of sleep, classes, and detention, there just didn't seem enough energy to go around. The only reason he hadn't fallen asleep already was because his cheek was absolutely throbbing. There wasn't anything he wouldn't give to get some relief... 

At about that moment, Lily showed up. Inwardly, he groaned to himself, asking the forces above why they wanted to put him through hell. Someone was trying to test the limitations of his sanity... 

Lily was normally just a friend he liked to argue with a lot, if not a little annoying. He put up with her because James was so crazy about her, although lately his friend seemed even more blind that he himself was. So because of James's strange bought of cluelessness and lack of sleep, Lily'd been an ogre pretty much throughout the day...

"Sirius, did you hear what happened," the girl asked, sounding troubled.

"What happened," he asked, lifting his head to meet her eyes. She really **did** look concerned... What had happened? "Did something happen to James or Remus?"

Lily shook her head, red tresses following the motions vaguely. She tucked the strands back behind her ear out of habit before going on. "Nuh uh. I'm talking about Usagi."

"Usagi," he asked, perking up further.

"Apparently, in potions, there was some kind of accident," Lily explained to him. "This nasty potion got all over her, and she had to be taken to the hospital wing."

Sirius gaped at her; that was horrible. It had been that bad that they'd had to take to her to see Madam Pomfrey? "Is she going to be okay," he asked, feeling dazed.

"How should **I know," she asked, sounding irate again. He opened his mouth to object to her attitude, but she was moving on. "Just what are you doing sitting here, you dope," she demanded.**

"Y-... what," he finally asked, feeling as though he'd just missed something monumental. 

From the extravegant roll of her eyes, apparently he had. "Geez, this must be a gender-related defect," she muttered. "It would be a really good time to give her that pie, you git. Don't tell me you're so far asleep that you forgot about that, too," she demanded.

"Of course not," he snapped back crossly. "But you have to make everything a guessing game, so how was I to know?"

Lily was practically glowering. It was Sirius's fondest hope that not all girls were like this- hopefully, only red heads- and that Usagi would be a much more calm person. _Or maybe not_, he thought to himself, having a flashback to yesterday's events.

A nagging voice reminded him that she'd been provoked… and between his guilty conscious and a fuming Lily, he gave in. "Alright. I'll go give it to her," he resigned, getting up. His body protested, muscles feeling like giving way, getting dizzy. 

"Good," Lily said, expression clearing up almost immediately. Out of nowhere, it seemed, she pulled out the pie and handed it to him.

"What… how…?"

"Well, I knew that you'd give in," Lily told him, matter-of-factly. At the dark look he gave her, she laughed. "Hey, I can't help the fact that you're whipped even though I'm not your girlfriend."

**

Usagi was feeling rather miserable. The past two days had been horrible, and didn't seem to show any sign of improving. _I should have just stayed in bed this morning,_ she thought to herself miserably. 

It was probably true, too. Upon arriving at the hospital wing, they'd had to try and spell her clothes off of her, which was no mean feat. In the end, they'd had to get a pair of hedge clippers to disconnect the barbs that had crystallized from the material. 

After that, she'd had to bathe in a nauseating liquid, that was cold and almost equally slimy feeling as to what the yellow liquid had been before it had hardened. It was worth it, though, because in the end, the strange formations dissolved off of her. 

However, the treatment had been a double-edged sword. While it got rid of the sickly yellow crystals stuck to her skin and clothing, it hadn't done much for her rash. Actually, it had done **something** for it- it had made the situation worse. Instead of light reddish-pink, the welts had turned a rather pronounced red color, and had gotten larger. Not to mention how painful they were and how badly they itched…

But like all other itchy rashes- like the chicken pox, for example- it was a big no-no to actually scratch. The first and last time Madam Pomfrey had caught her doing so, she'd threatened to tie her hands up. As her potions teacher had so kindly pointed out, the woman was probably liable to do so in order to make one of her patients better.

It didn't really matter, anyhow. It would have meant peeling past the layers of clothing she was wearing- namely, the new robe and uniform that they'd found for her to use- and she was feeling far too tired for that at the moment.

Thinking of it, she might as well take a nap while she was here. It would take her mind off of the incessant rash, for one, and she'd probably feel a lot better afterwards.

Usagi was just about to actually fall asleep when she heard the soft sound of someone clearing their throat. She opened her bleary eyes, cursing whoever it was for prolonging her nap, and got a pretty big shock. Right in front of her stood Sirius Black, looking rather abashed.

Usagi stared at him, feeling rather befuddled, while he just stared down at the floor as though he'd found something extraordinarily interesting there. 

"What do you want," Usagi asked, sounding curious and not cross. Indeed, she really was curious as to why he was there. Not to mention that he looked far too cute with that flushed-and-almost shy expression on his face. Or maybe that was just the bruise from where she'd hit him…?

She winced inwardly, and swore to herself she'd apologize to him.

"This is for you," he mumbled, taking what looked to be a pie-pan out from behind his back. Numbly, almost stupidly, Usagi reached out to receive it, and brought it in to take a closer look at it. 

Sure enough, there was a pie inside of it, still warm-verging-on-hot. A delicious scent met her nose, and her stomach gurgled in reminder as to the fact that she hadn't had lunch yet and her breakfast hadn't been too great, either.

"Is this…" she began, not quite able to focus the question into understandable words. Was it too much to hope…?

"Well, I'd heard you weren't feeling too good…"

Instantly, her stomach felt as though it had fallen straight through the bed and down, down to the dungeons. It had just been too good to be true. But what did she expect, after how she'd treated him yesterday? Still, it was a bit peculiar that he'd give her anything, even out of sympathy. 

"I don't need your pity," she told him stonily, lowering her head so that her loose, golden hair fell in a curtain around her face, shielding herself from his eyes. She felt like crying right now, she was so miserable, and the act would contradict her words somehow.

"Sympathy," he asked, sounding shocked. As though that wasn't what he meant at all. "Wait, I-"

"Ah! I was wondering when you were going to come and see me," demanded a voice, breaking into their conversation.

"Ah, Madam Pomfrey. I-"

"Now just you hold still," she commanded, taking Sirius's face into a firm grip, examining his bruised cheek. She made a 'tsk'ing sound of disapproval, and spelled the bruise away. Moments later, he was left with a smooth cheek that looked as if it had never been stricken in the first place.

"You need to learn how to handle girls, love, or they're going to tear you to pieces," she warned him. "Although it certainly was nice of you to come up and apologize to her for humiliating her twice in one day," the woman said, patting him on the shoulder before going on with her business.

For a few moments, Sirius was quiet. "I didn't give that pie to you because I felt sorry for you. I mean, I **do** feel sorry for you, but this isn't about that," he told Usagi, trying to explain his motive to her.

"Is it as an apology, then," she inquired softly. 

"Yes- I mean, no! I mean… That wasn't its purpose either," he admitted, blushing and looking away.

Usagi peeked at him through her hair, studying his blushing face. "Then what…?"

**

Lily stood eagerly at the doorway, listening to every word that was going on inside. Although Sirius was having his fair share of bumbles, he seemed t progressing fairly well. And without any coaching from Lily, for that matter! It was enough to make her proud.

She'd received some weird looks from fellow classmates, but that didn't matter. What did matter was that all her hard work and headaches paid off. She would be severely pissed if Sirius managed to botch this up. Because all they really needed was a nudge in the right direction, considering that the attraction was already there…

"Lily," someone said, calling her name. She frowned and shoved her ear closer to the wall. Couldn't whoever it was figure out that she was busy right now? Hell, she was missing out on lunch for this. 

"Lily," they repeated, much more insistently this time. Lily made a waving motion with her hand, telling them to go away. She wasn't going to miss this…

"**Lily**," the person insisted one final time, this time tugging on her robes. And that did it- what bloody fool couldn't get it into their head that she wasn't busy!?

"What do you want, you- oh! James," she said, becoming quiet. She couldn't help but feel mildly surprised. What was he doing here; James wouldn't have missed lunch for the world.

"Why are you so mad at me," he asked, expressive dark eyes boring into her. It had taken him long enough to catch on, though.

"Oh, I don't know," she replied sarcastically. "Take a guess."

It was obvious that James was trying to be patient with her sardonic attitude at the moment. Well, Lily couldn't help the fact that she was always this way- he'd just never realized it. Or perhaps her bad mood had amplified it? Oh, well.

At his searching, dumbfounded look, Lily sighed. "Alright, I'll give you a hint. You were supposed to help me with something last night."

Instantly his face dawned with comprehension. "Oh, Lily! That! I'm so sorry, I must have forgotten…"

"No kidding," she muttered sarcastically. 

In her peripheral vision, Lily could see that there was someone who needed to get past and into the Infirmary. Without even sparring them a look to see who it was, she stepped aside to allow them admittance. 

"Lily, I'm really sorry," he apologized. Lily could see that there was sincerity in his words, and sighed to herself.

She shrugged her shoulders a little, and commented quietly, "It doesn't matter all too much." _Liar,_ she called herself. _It means a lot._

James shook his head defiantly; even **he **wasn't so blind as to believe that. Lily wouldn't have carried on like that if it hadn't meant something to her. "No, it's not. And I promise, I'll make it up to you."

Lily smiled, feeling a bit better. "Alright. But first, let me check up on the lovebirds…" So said, Lily pressed her ear against the woodwork and began to listen in to try and make out the muffled sounds. Her eyes widened as she realized what she was hearing.

"James, did you happen to see who it was that walked through the door," she asked him, sounding a bit strange to him.

He frowned slightly. "No, I didn't. Who was it," he asked. In truth, he'd been too busy trying to patch things up with Lily at the time.

"Bloody hell," Lily cursed. "It's Malfoy!"

**

"Well, well… if it isn't Black and Tsukino… My, how… fetching you look," Lucius commented, sneering particularly at Usagi. He made the word 'fetching' sound as though she were truthfully very ugly.

Actually, Usagi wouldn't have been surprised if she was ugly. What with her rash and currently-near-crying eyes, she probably didn't look anything close to cute. The idea of her being disgusting, though, even to a Slytherin git like Lucius… made her feel miserable inside.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Sirius practically growled at the blonde-haired boy. "She looks much better than Narcissa, at least."

Lucius gave Sirius a bemused. "Are you trying to suggest that, at least in her current state, she could rival Narcissa, who is from one of the finer families in Britain?" 

She and Sirius exchanged looks, and Usagi was afraid at first at what she might see there. Disgust, guilt, or perhaps pity. Instead, there was a look of righteous indignation, and an emotion she couldn't quite make out. 

"I'd say so. And all that 'pure blood' stuff… you are referring to the fact that she's an inbred, right," Sirius jeered at the other boy angrily.

Usagi's eyes widened at the insult to the girl in question. Lucius's, however, narrowed. "Care to repeat that, Black," he asked, carefully drawing his wand out. It was an unspoken challenge to a duel, and Usagi prayed that Sirius would have enough sense to back down from something he couldn't win.

No such luck, though. Apparently, the male ego had precedence over common sense.

"You didn't hear me the first time? Or maybe you just didn't know," he said, mock-thoughtfully, while pulling out his wand. "Surely you must have the papers on her," he asked scornfully.

That did it, apparently. Lucius swung his wand to cast a spell, as did Sirius. Usagi could see, though, that Lucius would have his out first, and it would be too late. Acting on reflexes and instinct, Usagi did the only thing she could- she picked up the pie and hurled it straight at Lucius's face.

The effects of her action were obvious. Lucius's words were squelched, and Sirius was the only one who could get the words out. Lucius's view was also affectively obscured, at the price of a beautiful apple pie.

Sirius's spell hit the other boy dead on, just as Lucius yanked the pie tin off of his face. It fell to the floor with a small clatter, and Usagi could tell that Lucius was furious. Behind that golden-yellow tinted goop, his face was a livid red.

_So how does it feel,_ she asked him inside, unable to squelch the victorious feelings that bubbled up inside like effervescence.  She couldn't keep the grin off of her face. 

"Why you little," he snarled, attempting to wipe the mess off of his face. It didn't work, though- the jelly clung to his face quite persistently. Usagi gaped and tried not to laugh as Lucius tried to wrestle the apple filling off of his face.

At that moment, Madam Pomfrey decided to show up again. Usagi forced the smile off of her face with a good deal of effort.

"Young man," the woman cried, "what in Merlin's name happened to you," she demanded, examining his face extensively. 

Lucius growled like a rabid dog. "Those two," he began, but never got finished accusing.

"Never mind it. Let's go get this fixed, though. This looks like a tricky one… perhaps a bath in some Dissosient Solverium would work," the woman murmured to herself, meanwhile dragging Lucius Malfoy along despite his physical protests. 

Usagi recognized the name from the stuff she'd soaked in earlier, and was unable to hold in her giggles. If he had to actually dip his face into that stuff, Lucius would be lucky if he didn't still smell that stuff a week later.

The door leading to the bathroom was closed behind the two, and the only sounds they could hear anymore were muffled protests and stern instructions just barely recognizable. Usagi snickered behind her hand, before realizing that Sirius was staring at her.

A second realization hit her- she'd just chucked his pie at someone. And laughed… If it was anything like her pie, then she'd just ruined all of his hard work…

Indeed, Sirius was feeling a little small inside right now. Not only had he been rejected, it seemed, but last night's efforts had just gone to wait… When Lily found out, he was a dead man, he realized.

Inside though, that didn't matter so much as the fact that he felt disappointed and hollow. _Is this what she felt like? Maybe it's just a taste of my own medicine…_

"I'm so sorry," Usagi blurted out of nowhere, capturing Sirius's attention. "I just… I mean, I didn't mean to throw your pie, it just kind of happened. What I mean to say is that I just didn't want him to hurt you, and… I'm sorry," she finished, her babbling drawing to a quiet close.

Usagi fiddled with the sheets to her bed, not daring to look up and see the look in his eyes. Probably, it had been meant for someone more important… and he just hadn't had the nerve to give it to them. So he'd passed it off to her, second-hand…

"You were worried about me," he asked, sounding strangled.

"Well, yeah… Lucius isn't exactly the kind of person to be gentle," she reminded him, as though he needed it.

Meeting his dark eyes, Usagi felt a slow blush begin to rise in her cheeks. He was staring at her intently, as though he were trying to peer right inside of her to see what she was thinking exactly. _Why is he staring at me,_ she thought, shifting a bit uncomfortably under his perpetual gaze.

He leaned over her bed, putting his face alarmingly close to hers. Usagi's eyes widened in surprise, and she became very still. In fact, the only reason that she wasn't squirming at the moment was because she'd frozen still.

"Then what you're saying is that… you wanted to protect me," he asked, as though trying to confirm something.

"Y-yes," she managed to stutter, noticing that their noses were touching. They were close enough to kiss… That thought really made her blush, and she pulled up the sheets far enough to cover the bottom half of her face, as though that could really protect her. 

"I never got the chance to tell you why I wanted to give you that pie," he told her, shifting his weight and managed to come a bit closer still.

Usagi leaned back a bit, feeling imposed and over-powered. "Uhm, well, I thought… that you just gave it as a get-well sort of thing. Or maybe as an apology," she told him honestly.

He smiled, just a little, and leaned in closer still. Usagi couldn't really back up any further- hospital beds were a bit smaller than what she was used to- and had found herself trapped between Sirius, the edge of the bed, and the backboard.

She might have told him that she was a bit uncomfortable with the situation, but she never got to it. Before she knew it, he was whispering in her ear. "Maybe in part. But what I really wanted to say with it is…"

Sirius drew up all of his courage for his confession. She was as stiff as a board, sitting there and looking both petrified and shocked. He wondered just what it was she was afraid of.

"… I love you."

Usagi's eyes became wider still, unable to believe what she'd just heard. _This has to be another dream,_ she told herself. She gaped slightly in disbelief and turned her head to look him in the eyes. She was shocked further still by the hopeful sincerity she saw there.

Sirius was pleased to see a reflection of his own hope inside of her eyes, despite the surprised look she was giving him. Did it really shock her so much? Should he prove it?

_It's now or never,_ he told himself almost grimly. _Sink or swim, go for the goal, catch the big one, to the moon or bust… _(3)

_Oh, shut up,_ he told himself before he leaned in to kiss her gently on her mouth.

It was a sweet and chaste thing, just the gently action of pressing his lips to hers. And yet, it was somehow exhilarating, despite the fact that he wasn't used to love or being loved, or showing it. Certainly, the only woman he'd ever kissed before was his mother, and she didn't even count.

Even so, his heart beat had sped up, and his chest had tightened inside. It didn't matter that she wasn't responding, he had seen himself that she was too shocked to really reciprocate the action. At least she wasn't pushing him away, he decided.

Usagi couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't do anything. She felt as though she'd been frozen in a single moment in time, and wouldn't be able to escape, ever. It was allright, though, she realized. She felt happy and excited inside when he kissed her.

She gave in to the kiss, and couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed when it was over. It had ended too quickly for her tastes, but she couldn't rush things, she told herself.

Neither knew quite what to do or say afterwards for some time, so they just sat rather quietly together. Still, neither seemed to mind- if anything, the silence was a comfortable one. 

Madam Pomfrey finally exited the bathroom, and looked at the magical sundial on her desk. "It's time for you to be heading onto class, young man," she warned Sirius. "And you," she addressed Usagi, "had better take another nap. That stuff drains the strength right out of you."

With that, she went on about her business. Usagi said nothing for a moment, but finally giggled to herself; any cure, no matter how small, seemed to drain the energy out of everyone.

"So then… you'll be heading on to class," she asked him tentatively, trying to prevent the silence from becoming awkward. 

"Mm… I don't know," he admitted. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, so I was thinking of cutting just this once…"

Usagi couldn't help but feel a little shy after everything, and small talk seemed to be the safest ground. "So, have you eaten anything?"

He shook his head a negative. "Nope, not since breakfast… and not much then, because my cheek hurt, and I was tired."

Usagi winced. "Gomen ne… It doesn't hurt anymore, does it?"

Sirius assumed from the tentative, guilty expression on her face that the words she'd said before had been an apology. "No, I'm fine, since she healed it. But," he said sneakily, teasingly, "if you want, you could kiss it better for goodluck."

No sooner was it out of his mouth than he'd realized what he'd said. Her cheeks went red, with what he assumed to be embarrassment. _Stupid git,_ he told himself. _Why'd you have to go and screw it all up like that?_

And yet, before he could repent his words, she strained to sit up high, brought his head a bit lower with a gentle, guiding hand, and kissed his cheek.

This time, it was Sirius who blushed, although himself more with pleasure than discomfort. She smiled at him sweetly, and his chest constricted in that funny, extraordinarily sweet way. Perhaps he should kiss her again?

"I think… I think we should try baking another pie," she told him, still giving him that sweet smile in her soft azure blue eyes. "But this time… let's do it together, okay?"

Thoughts of getting flour and jelly all over the two of them danced around in Sirius's mind, and it was all he could do not to grin. "Uhm, and could it be chocolate? My mother makes this wonderful pie… I could get the recipe from her… It's called French Silk, I think." (4)

Ooh… Gooey filling was replaced by a whipped chocolate filling. And almost instantly, he was plagued by some rather perverted thoughts. _No, bad Sirius,_ he lectured himself. _Those are bad thoughts._(5)

"So, uhm… I'll see you later," she asked him, looking both hopeful and timid and happy at once. He nodded his head an affermative, and practically ran out of the room.

Usagi giggled to herself and laid down on her cot again. Although he appeared cool and calm and collected, he was just as shy going into this as she was. She fell asleep smiling.

Sirius, however, was not quite smiling. Outside of the room, he'd been greeted to the site of not one, but two of his friends eavesdropping with their ears pressed to the wall. To make matters worse, it was James. 

"What are you two doing," he hissed, and they broke off from listening.

"See, I **told** you I heard him leaving," James insisted.

Lily smiled at Sirius. "I'm proud of you! You managed to do something right for a change. Not only that, but from the sounds of things, Lucius got a makeover today. Two birds with one stone!"

"Usagi's not a bird," he point out, frowning.

Lily grinned, practically from ear to ear. "I know that. Anyhow, tell Usagi that when you guys are going to make that pie… plan on it being a double date!"

"What," Sirius asked, feeling confused. 

Lily rolled her eyes. "We'll be joining you, I mean. In the mean time, James is going to accompany me to the kitchen, and he's going to make something up to me." That didn't sound like a fact so much as it did an order.

And indeed, before James could even think about protesting or trying to run off, Lily had him by the ear and was dragging him off in the direction of the kitchen. Sirius only shook his head and headed onto the Common Room for a nap. Just how in the world did he manage to meet all of these weird people?

**

"Well, I suppose you were right, Headmaster. There haven't been anymore fights this week- that have been reported," she added quickly.

Albus Dumbledore sipped his tea quietly, and set it down easily. "See now, Minerva? They just need a little space to grow."

"Speaking of growing," Professor McGonagall said, "Madam Pomfrey reports that although the majority of that pie filling has been- at last- cursed off, there's still pieces there… with mold growing on it." 

She made a face of disgust, and Dumbledore chucked softly behind his hand, disguising them as a bought of coughs. "I'm glad his condition is improving… Though I do wonder just what happened as to how it got there."

McGonagall shrugged. "Nevertheless, I think it would be best if we discouraged any more of that cooking class. It only seems to bring trouble."

"Now now, Minerva. I know that we have house elves to do those things, but it's good for the students to learn these skills. And there's no need to be upset, just because you can't even cook toast…"

And to that, she had no reply.

****

(1) - I'm sure that about now, James is off shivering in his bed… *snickers* I know I sure would be! O.o 

(2) - In plenty of the manga I've read, the fan girls have a bad habit of becoming horrendously catty if they feel an unapproachable territory's been crossed… Some good examples of this would be Hot Gimmick, Kaikan Phrase, Fruits Basket, etc… I did it kind of as an inside joke at first, a sort of pun on the idea… but it worked well, so it became (by this mark) a bigger part of the story.

(3) –Hee! I didn't even realize what a pun this was until I re-read what I'd written. Do you get it? To the moon or bust? Usagi Tsukino… as in, of the moon? Goodness, I'm so corney… But I left in there, cuz I thought it was humorous.

(4) –Hah! This actually happens to be my favorite pie. It's best with a little whipped cream on the top… I like it a lot, even though it dries my mouth out. So I have to eat it with milk or water. (Just thought I ought to share this with you, so you'd know that I hadn't made it up.

(5) I think, by now… I have way too many notes. -_- Anyhow, why did I add this? Well, by now, Sirius is going to be fourteen or fifteen. And by now, he's not going to be ignorant about… certain things. Hormones will take care of that. Anyhow, I assume that by now, he's going to have the occasional perverted thought running around… He'd be abnormal if he didn't, I assume. So I included that… 

I really hope that everyone has enjoyed this fic. I tried to leave it off at a light point, even though we all know that not all stories end happily-ever-after. In this case, any reader who's actually read the Harry Potter series knows that it wouldn't be possible for this euphoria to last, seeing as Sirius ends up in Azkaban. As for a sequel… I don't think that will happen. I'm happy to leave it as it is here.

:: End of "Apple or Cherry?" ::


End file.
